Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-23
BY WILLIAM t. HORNADAY,
Author OF 1.-TWO Years In the Jungle"
Copyright, 1887. All rights reserved

BY mercileSS squirting. jim and got TO camp
Just before dark. Russell was already IN, but the
boys with the heavily loaded wagon were miles
away and the snow coming faster every
minute. our camp was then located at the upper
water hole OF big POrcupine Creek. and while it
was capitally situated for shelter. in the bottom
OF the canon, close To the southern face OF high
bluff IL was desperately hard TO find, even on a
clear night. Whether Boyd and Brown could find
II at all that stormy night was very grave ques-
ton; but they both possessed a wonderful faculty
for remembering landmarks, and in spite OF our
fears We hOpcd for the best. OF course they would
abandon the wagon and ride the horses.
As soon as had finished supper,
lit our bUils-cye lantern. took my rifle TO signal
with and started for The top of the divide 70 set
beacon at the head Of the rdVine which led Down
TO our tent. AS soon a. reached the high ground
where The wind had a fair sweep,my lantern blew
out, but having plenty of matches went on 20
the pillar az rocks W. had built up as landmark.
How the wind did blow, and how cold IL vast
As long as i kept my big rur gloves on did not
mind II, but TO light the lantern again had 70
take them or. AMI such time as had. could
shelter the lantern until the wick was blazing,
but before could shut the door the wind would
blow il out every time. Finally, when succeeded
at last, the wind blew into the lantern from the
bottom and out IL went again. | thought my
hands would freeze in spite OF lie, and at last
almost gave up I'm despair Finally, after strug-
gle OF half an hour and the expenditure of all my
banked up around II with dirt and stones and
although the flame fliCkeTed wildly, il did not 60
out Then started back 10 camp. half a mile De-
low lost the trail Immediately, but knowing the
direction well steered through the darkness
straight for where knew camp was. Presently,
rs went laundering over the rough ground In the
darkness the ground in front Of me began to look
grey instead OF white, and i said 10 myself,
"Hello, here's Sunken place to be crossed"
went ahead cautiously, and at the next step
saw, almost ut my feet, dim circle OF light.
Good heavenSi II was the tent and was on the
very edge OF the perpendicular blun that rose be-
hind IL. Had not seen that dim light-it was
only one feeble Candle-and realized in TIM. what
IL was, two steps more would have sent me flying
down that forty foot WALL almost upon the tent.
What II that candle had gone out moment
before that!
About O'Clock the boys got In. They had aban-
doned the wagon and its precious load about
twelve miles back, In the bad grounds, but not
I'll they had salted the skin of the big bull and
spread 1t out upon the ground They got lost on
the divide, but the beacOn-lght presently brought
them in. TO the great relief OF US all.
The storm continued all night, all the next day,
and the greater Part OF the day following. The
snow did not fall SO very heavily after ALL but the
than H. was Fortunately We had fair supply OF
nrpwOCd. and while the storm ragged rallied
round the iron funnel with door In one side which
goes by the name of ''Sbey stove" our ten head
OF horses never left the bottom or the canon. but
fingered around camp from feeding time in the
morning until feeding time at night Having
plenty OF bedding, good warm Sibley tent, well
banked up, plenty OF buffalo meat, and, above all,
f,Ce7ltV buffalo. what cared for bowling winds
and driving snow, mercury that stood at ten de-
greeS below zero. IL would have taken about seven
1eet OF snow and fifty degrees below zero to have
stOrrned the heartier We congratulated ourselves
the ''SlBO' outnt-upOn our SnartneSS in finding
thirty head OF buffalo under such circumstances
killing twenty-five OF them, and doing it before
winter burst upon Us. ''We've given you good
luck, and let you get your twenty buffalo, said
the FateS, 'but now Your game Is up. and from
this on you Will eaten it, / went out resolved to
stay all winter in the field, If necessary, and /
shUdder to think OF the calamtieS that would have
Defa.len had We been out In the terrible winter
that followed so closely upon our heels Every
one OF our horses would hayestaryed in spite of US
~ ar ra-l
anxious TO get out or that fearful country before
getting caught IN a regular Tx, and the program
was that Private e.. 5 West should go to Fort
keogh as soon possible, with request for
transportation While the storm had the floor I
wrote my Ofnckn dispatches and letters to the
outside wOrld-we had been five weeks without
any ma1Eand West made preparations for his
journey On theNJhird day, FoVember % the worst
seemed TO be over, and West declared his readi-
ness 10 start 1t was little risky but as he was
10 make only 10 miles, and stop for the night al
camp OF cowboys on sand Greek, 1t was thought
TOOK my revolver, In order not TO be hampered
With rifle, and set out.
The next day was s'ciear and fine" according to
our loy-book, and / remarked TO the boys that
was thankful West had such fine day for his ride
Iotll hallTs camp 10 tne IL Oar ranch The dis
tance was about twenty-five miles, through bad
lands all the way, and il was the only portion OF
the Journey concerning which / felt anxious on
VESTS account. But the bright sunshine dispeiied
our fears. The snow on the ground was only six
inches deep on the levels, and though the cOues
were ali hlled level TO the top, our courier was all
oo hand III Montana, and would be careful to avoid
them
The 18th It was storming again, worse than ever
But by that time We were tired OF the tent and
almost out Of nrewoOd, besides. Leaving the rest
OF The boys 10 wreStle with the problem of getting
some wood up the canon TO our camp, / took my
horse and set OF TO See II 1 could not find some
buffalo sheltering from the storm in some deep
raxln+s that lay 10 the east 1 thought that by
riding due east with the storm anu returning due
west aga lnSt IL, would not get lost When / got
out OF the shelter OF the canon and up the high
ground, found had bitten OF more than could
- m
expression from the ancientS The wind was
blowing small hurricane, sixty miles an
Aour u seemed Ike, and driving straight
with storm OF tiny ice pellets IL could not be
Called snow, for II was ice, and as fine sand. Ii
swept over the ground like dust, and the sky was
so dark that nothing smaller than a butte was
Visible 30 yards away. j went about half mile
s-h1 D That time the danger and utter useless
mss OF going farther became so apparent, that
after stopping little while in the shelter OF "A
butte We started back And then We caught it.
~ was IKE rldlng against "a sand blast. The pei
tets were blown with singing force into our eyes
and soon made the balls smart like fire. The cold
WIND searched out ears under their thick fiaps
OF fur, and for d time it seemed determined 10
1reSze them both The trail my horse had made
Ihrotfyh The snow Was totally o6literated and the
strength or the furious blast made him labor hard
U Travel against IL, even at walk.
IN account of the wind, the night which fol-
lowed was a fezT1ully cold one. The mercury sank
10 sixteen degrees below zero before We went TO
Dec, which 81 discouraged us that We stopped TAX
Ing opsersations, and devoted al our energies 10
hugg1ng the stove and crowdlng In wood
We had hoped 10 Kill at least five more buffalo
oy the time West got back TO US with the wagons
DOI WLien the storm WAS over, at the end or a
WEEK, the snow Was so deep that the hunting was
totally ont or the question, save close 10 camp,
Where there was nothing TO KILL We expected
the wagon, by the ID OF December, but
they did nor come on that day, nor
the next, nor the next By the 9Th the snow
had melted good deal and Jim McNantey and I
TOOK pack outnJ and set out TO Try our luck for
ehe last time over at the Buffalo Buttes. On the
"ay over We fell in with three buffalo and killed
Two Oh them One was an enormous Old bull who
STOOD I'VE lest eight inches at the shoulder and
was d. lar the largest and finest OF all he was
perfect giant, and IL was my luck to Kill mimi
But There Is no time 70 speak further OF him now
We got back 10 camp on the 18th and the wagons
Were not yet In Boyd had gore down sand Greek
70 the Ht rancn 70 meet them, and we thought
they would surely get In the next day. ON the
sth Brown and went With the wagon 10 haul In
The skin OF the bull, and Russell went down 10
that time We were about starved out When
Brown and dragged YEARLY into camp that night
AFTER our 24-uiie Tip, Russell ulet with Seri-
GUS face.
Bad news from below, sir!-
rs that sol What's up:"
"Heaps o. snow, no wasonS-1nd Vests Troze to
death %
GOOD heavens! You don't say so.,
eyes He got 10 Harry'S all right, but he's never
showed up at the LU-bar, nor at the Nv. and we
know that be never struck the Acorn rancho down
below here. Waddy Peacock has Just come from
town. and he hasn't been heard OF there, either, SO
hes dead man"
This was terrible news. For a time We were
quite stunned by IL NO wonder the wagons had
nD< arrived When Russell reached Harry'S camp
h.Tf .NTTa Bk fNkU II1Ef az